


Unexpected Welcome

by The_Arkadian



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 21:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4364075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Arkadian/pseuds/The_Arkadian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One-shot. Written for a prompt from Penelopethefox on Tumblr.<br/>“You did all of this for me?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Welcome

It had gone wrong from the start. It was _supposed_ to be just a brief jaunt to the coast to investigate a report of bandits. As usual, Aveline’s guards were too overstretched to spare a patrol; Hawke was happy to pick up the slack, and Anders had been happy to go along and take the opportunity to replenish some of his supplies of herbs whilst they were there. Fenris hadn’t been in his mansion when they dropped by, but a group of bandits was hardly likely to overtax the abilities of the rogue and the apostate - particularly with Varric and Isabela for company.

The bandits turned out to be a party of Tal Vashoth however, and then they’d run into a group of slavers. The pack of wild mabari that took a fancy to Isabela’s leg was just the icing on the cake. Between that, the storm that blew up, and the landslide that carried off their tents in the middle of the night (and nearly them too), Anders was kept too busy running, fighting, healing and scrabbling around in mud to go looking for herbs, and feeling disgruntled and irritable through lack of sleep to boot.

The final straw came when they found the actual bandits, only to find one of Aveline’s patrols had got to them first on their way back from investigating a reported smuggler’s hideout and dealt with the lot before Hawke and the others could get there. With all prospect of payment for the job they’d actually been sent to do gone, it was a bad-tempered party that headed back to Kirkwall in the rain late that night.

“Coming to the Hanged Man, Blondie?” asked Varric as they made their way through Lowtown. Anders scowled and tried (unsuccessfully) to flick off some of the mud caking his bedraggled feather pauldrons.

“I just want to get out of these wet things, into something dry and then sleep for a week,” he groused.

“Suit yourself, Blondie!” Varric waved him off as Anders trudged away through the grimy streets, his patched and worn boots splashing through the puddles of filthy water. He grimaced as he felt a cold wetness soaking through his boot. He sighed inwardly and resigned himself to a cold, uncomfortable trudge back to Darktown. His stomach rumbled loudly, and he swore to himself as he remembered he’d given the last of his bread and cheese to one of his patients last night.

He stared at the ground as he made his way deeper into the bowels of the city, picking his way through the narrow passageways and festering alleys of Darktown towards the rickety hovel he had called home for a number of years. He glanced up as he turned the corner, then stopped when he saw that one of the doors stood slightly ajar. He felt his heart sink; evidently someone had broken in whilst he was gone. He sighed and wondered how much of a mess would be left inside to clean up this time. He paused for a moment, then pushed open the door.

He halted and stared around the clinic in dumbfounded amazement.

The clinic was lit up by candles - dozens of candles, in candleholders of iron, silver, earthenware - some little more than simple pots, others elaborate arched candelabras. The floor had been swept clean, all his racks of herbs tidied - and replenished, oh Maker, every little shelf full once more. The tatty curtain that screened off his tiny cubbyhole where he slept had been replaced with what looked like worn but serviceable canvas, sturdy and hardwearing.

And Fenris stood beside a table that was spread with a meal for two, a look of nervous anticipation that was quite unlike the taciturn warrior playing across his dark features..

“What’s going on?” asked Anders slowly in bewilderment as he stared around himself. “You did all this for me?”

“Yes,” nodded the elf slowly. “Please, come in. We have much to talk about.”

Anders stared at the elf, then slowly let the door close behind him as he took a step towards Fenris.


End file.
